


Crash Course

by ClockworkDinosaur



Series: sea of stars [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Classpects are super powers, Infodumping, sidefic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 18:05:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12326103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkDinosaur/pseuds/ClockworkDinosaur
Summary: THIS IS A SIDE FIC, meant to be read afterchapter 15 of Stow AwayTerezi Pyrope knows all there is to know about the mysterious powers many are given. The humans know basically nothing. She aims to change that





	Crash Course

**Author's Note:**

> [read chapter 15 first!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11421123/chapters/28025511) otherwise this won't be too interesting
> 
> I did this as a side fic because I know people were really interested in the powers/classpect part of Stow Away but adding this into the actual fic would have made the chapter far too long
> 
> also sorry it's a bit rushed, writers block ykno

There's no denying that Terezi Pyrope knows her shit. From a young age, she did her best to learn everything she could about the strange powers found in trolls. Even knowing her own power would eventually get her placed in the Condesce's army was no deterrent in her quest for knowledge. Not even being blinded kept her from learning, absorbing every fact she could until she knew the intricacies of those strange powers gifted to lucky trolls. She's pretty confident that she knows more than the Condesce herself.

So when the opportunity arises for her to teach the newcomers from scratch about their exciting and rare powers, Terezi can't help but be excited.

Three of the humans are tentatively excited and curious. Their scents are soft and new; lime green, soft lavender, and summer-sky blue flavored with their candy-colored Aspects and all topped off with anticipation.

However, Dave's red lollipop scent is tinged with fear. It buzzes on Terezi's tongue and sours the room. She does her best to ignore that, and ignore his angry huffs and constant, shifting movements.

She can't ignore his groan though as he sits up, leaning with his elbows on the table in a half-assed attempt at a casual pose, clearly foiled by the stress underlying his words.

“Can we get this going? You've been staring with that smile on your face for like five minutes, it's disconcerting as fuck,” he says.

“Wow Dave, I didn't think you would be so eager to get started!” It's clear he isn't but he is right, the anticipation has built enough. “But yes, let's get going. Order in the court!”

She lets the words hang over the table for a silent moment. John clears his throat awkwardly.

All four of them have such interesting powers, it's hard for Terezi to figure out where to begin. She goes by scent, choosing the sweetest citrus scent.

“You!” she says, pointing at Rose.

“Me,” comes her quick reply. Terezi can taste the amusement. She wonders if Rose will keep her witty comments to herself long enough for Terezi to explain what she can do.

“You're a Seer, someone who can-” Terezi starts.

“See the future, I presume?”

Clearly, she cannot. She's talking again before Terezi can even sigh.

“Yes, I've been able to catch glimpses into the unknown my whole life, with only a bit of meditation. I am almost always correct.”

Rose is almost as bad as Vriska. Terezi sits down with a huff, glaring in Rose's direction.

“Light aspects are such know-it-alls,” she says. There's an intake of breath and Terezi has the pencil in her hand and launched towards Rose before a word can come out.

“I have the floor, Lalonde,” she says with all of the authority she can muster. Rose is quiet and Terezi takes that as her queue to go on.

“Like I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, Seers can see the future, obvioulsy. It's all about using your Aspect to figure out how things will play out!”

She's in her element now, gesturing with her hands getting louder as she speaks.

It's with a hint of pride she says, “I'm a Seer of Mind, I can see people's decisions and how they affect their futures. You are a Seer of Light, one who can see the most fortuitous outcome in a situation. The outcome that's most illuminated by luck, if you will.”

“Aren't you blind? You're a Seer that is blind?” John asks. There's a shocked gasp from Jade and Rose turns to him so quickly it stirs every scent in the room. Embarrassment quickly floods though John so strongly that it overpowers everything else.

Before anyone can say anything, Terezi laughs.

“Yep! I'm a blind Seer. Ironic, huh?”

It;s quiet for a few uncomfortable seconds and Terezi continues.

“Light can be luck or knowledge depending on how you play your hand. Vriska is also a Light aspect and she's definitely deals with lu-”

“Are you okay?” Rose asks. It takes Terezi a moment to realize the question isn't directed at her.

Dave stands so fast that Terezi nearly jumps for her cane. The chair screeches across the floor. Anxiety rolls off of him in dark, choking clouds.

“I can't,” he says, and absconds faster than Terezi thought possible without powers.

The room is silent, tainted with worry and confusion. A pang of guilt, strangely unfamiliar, resonates in Terezi's chest. She pushes it down and focuses on the three humans in front of her.

“I'm sure he's fine! Let's move on, okay? John!” she says, turning to him.

He's so worried about Dave that he doesn't even have the motivation to act freaked out by the teeth-baring grin so she drops it. She can't deny the theatrics are a bit uncomfortable now.

“Heir of Breath. An Heir inherits and is protected by their Aspect. Breath is pretty tied to freedom,” she says.

“What does freedom have to do with controlling the wind?” he asks.

“Sometimes the Aspects are both literal and figurative, if that makes sense,” Terezi explains. It's easy to get back into the earlier mindset when she realizes just how little each of them knows. She has much to explain.

“It doesn't,” Rose chimes in, and Terezi refuses to acknowledge her.

“Literally, Breath is air. Wind, weather, that sort of thing. In a less literal way, it's freedom!”

“So... I'm protected by freedom?” John asks, clearly confused.

If she could roll her eyes, she would have. Her explanation was perfectly coherent and comprehensive. “Basically! Any questions?”

“Well...”

Terezi claps and turns away from him before he can really respond. She had saved the best for last.

“The Witch of Space!” she says to Jade with a smile. “Space is everything! Matter and where it resides, the space between things, it's everywhere! And a Witch! A Witch is a manipulator-”

“What?!” she interjects, upset. “I don't manipulate!”

Terezi snorts. “No, I mean you're able to bend your Aspect to your will. That says nothing about you as a person.”

“Oh, wow,” she says, awestruck. “So that's why I can shrink and grow stuff! And teleport!”

Terezi nods, glad Jade caught on so quickly. “Exactly! You manipulate matter, and move yourself through Space. It's a very powerful Class combined with a very powerful Aspect!”

“Congratulations Jade,” Rose says. It almost sounds sarcastic but she smells entirely sincere. In fact, both of the humans do. They really are happy for her being one of the most powerful humans in existence. Terezi is both impressed and confused.

“Where did these titles come from?” Rose asks. Terezi perks up.

“They were made common during the time of The Signless! The person, not this ship. He talked about a world where these powers made people gods, and these titles were given from the start. Once his rebellion was crushed, Condy claimed the idea of the titles because she's a shellfish bitch.”

The room lapses into silence, the three thinking over the new information.

“And I might as well explain what a Knight of Time can do,” Terezi says eventually. It felt strange not to explain, despite Dave's absence.

“A Knight can fight with their Aspect, or use their Aspect to encourage others to fight. Karkat is a Knight, and a strong leader. Dave is a strong fighter. Two Knights, different Aspects, different focuses.”

Karkat's powers are nearly useless from an offensive standpoint. Even the natural fighting skill essential to Knights is weakened by Blood, an Aspect that encourages unity and peace. But from a leadership standpoint, he has the ideal combination. The Condesce has almost no use for Blood aspects in her army, let alone a Knight of Blood. Only she could ever lead.

Terezi goes on after a second. “And Time is almost as powerful as Space. Absolute control over the natural flow of time. A Knight can slow it down, speed it up, or move themself along the timeline as they see fit. A Knight of Time is the ultimate protector.”

“And that's Dave,” Rose says, impressed.

“I don't know why he's so against using his powers! He would be-” Terezi begins before getting cut off.

“Don't push it,” Rose says, her tone heavy with warning. “Trust me, this is not something you should be pushing anymore. It won't help things and you and I both know how stubborn he is. Let it go.”

Terezi frowns. He had to learn at some point, right? She presses her lips together and puts a hand to her forehead for a moment.

In front of her, trails branch off into darkened woods. Both paths branch off into thinner trails, into thinner trails, until they disappear into the liquid anise blackness. For a moment she entertains the idea of pushing Dave into letting her explain his Powers, cornering him in the cafeteria one day so he can't make a fuss about it.

He first stops speaking to her at all, retreating from the game group and eventually everyone else on the ship until his six months are up and he leaves. Things go back to normal but it feels bereft. It's sad and unfortunate and absolutely not what is meant to happen.

With a huff, Terezi brings herself back to the present.

“Fine,” she says. “I'll drop it. Until the exact moment he's ready and then I'm telling him everything I know!”

“I'll be sure to warn him to keep a notebook on his person at all times in case of the sudden need to take notes,” Rose says as she stands. “I believe the lesson is over, correct?”

With a sigh, Terezi nods. “Court is adjourned,” she says, banging her fist on the table half-heartedly. The humans take their leave with quick goodbyes and leave Terezi alone.

This was a lot less fun than she had anticipated.

 


End file.
